 Under the Moroccan autonomy plan, the Sahara Region will be given more powers and competencies to manage its own affairs, said Marie Valerie Uppiah, head of the law department at the University of Mauritius.
Speaking at an international research seminar organized in New York by the Permanent Mission of Morocco to the UN, on the theme "Ensuring the success of experiences of territorial autonomy: Devolution of legislative powers", Ms. Uppiah noted that since 2007, Morocco has taken the necessary steps to bring a solution to the regional dispute over the Sahara, saying that the Kingdom has put on the table the appropriate solution to this dispute: autonomy.
The expert, who presented one of the African examples of devolution of legislative powers, addressing the case of the autonomous territory of Rodrigues Island which obtained autonomy from Mauritius in 2002, noted that the Moroccan initiative represents "various advantages both for Morocco and for the constituents of the Sahara region.
She explained that the competences devolved to the Sahara autonomous region would include, among others, legislative, executive and judicial powers, the three fundamental powers necessary for the good governance and administration of any region.
By virtue of these powers, the Region will be able to make laws that suit its own specificities and needs, she said, noting that from the perspective of the executive power, institutions can be set up to ensure the proper management of the Region's internal affairs.
From a judicial perspective, autonomy would allow for the creation of courts that take into consideration national laws as well as customary laws to ensure equity and justice.
Referring to the experience of the island of Rodrigues, the expert indicated that its autonomous status allows it to establish its own system of governance. Along with the three branches of government that exist in Mauritius, Rodrigues has established its own institutions that govern and regulate its administration, including a regional assembly with legislative power, commissions that manage the executive, and courts that are part of the judiciary, she concluded.
-News on Western Sahara issue/Corcas-
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